Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.
Southeast Asia is a land of contradictions--pristine and filthy, welcoming and conniving, conservative and hedonistic, archaic and progressive. In other words, we loved it!]]>
Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.
After travels through Thailand and Vietnam, we visited Cambodia. Though all three countries can claim their share of strife, Cambodia is still reeling from its trauma. The country struggles to recover from the 1970s genocide of millions of its citizens.]]>
Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.
Are we talking about the same war? You don't know the history of the Vietnam War until you've learned about the "struggle against American aggression" from the tour guides at Ho Chi Minh City's Reunification Palace.]]>
Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.
The nightlife in Ho Chi Minh City is, well, tame. So spend the evening taking in the view of the city on the outdoor patio of the Saigon Saigon Bar on the ninth floor of the Caravelle Hotel. After a day in the hot, dusty, moped-filled city, the evening breeze feels great and the reggae-rap-fusion band is out of place but entertaining.
One bit of advice: Whatever you do, don't order The Hemingway. Ernest never visited Vietnam, and he certainly never would've stood for this tall, sweet and undrinkable cocktail.
That said, the view is excellent, with the city's stock market in one direction and Uncle Ho himself seated at the other end of the panorama. Down the elevator and across the street is Q Bar, which stays open late for a change of pace.
Related Stories:
· Ho Chi Minh City Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Southeast Asia Field Trip [Jaunted]]]>
Can't afford a European vacation this summer? Do what our contributor Claire Duffett did: Explore Southeast Asia instead.
The villages along the Mekong River from Cambodia's Phnom Penh to Vietnam's Chau Doc contain unspoiled culture, authentic food and kind, welcoming people willing to take in travelers. We remembered the film "Apocalypse Now," where a boat ride up the Mekong is a trip to the depths of hell. On the contrary: Often times it quite literally felt like heaven on earth.]]>
We used Lonely Planet: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Greater Mekong while traveling Southeast Asia. Here's where it led us in the right direction.]]>
We used Lonely Planet: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Greater Mekong while traveling Southeast Asia. Here's where it led us astray.
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